The Sergeants Major of the Army

The Sergeants Major of the Army

Center of Military History ? United States Army

PIN : 073269�C000

The Sergeants Major

of the Army

Robert M. Mages

Mark F. Gillespie

Michael B. Kelly

Daniel K. Elder

Glen R. Hawkins

Preston E. Pierce

Center of Military History

United States Army

The Sergeants Major

of the Army

Robert M. Mages

Mark F. Gillespie

Michael B. Kelly

Daniel K. Elder

Glen R. Hawkins

Preston E. Pierce

Center of Military History

United States Army

Washington, D.C., 2013

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mages, Robert M.

The Sergeants Major of the Army / Robert M. Mages, Daniel K. Elder, Mark F.

Gillespie, Glen R. Hawkins, Michael B. Kelly, Preston E. Pierce. �� Revised edition.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

1. United States. Army��Non-commissioned officers��History. 2. United States.

Army��Non-commissioned officers��Biography. I. Title.

UB408.5.S476 2013

355.0092'273��dc23

2013014546

First Printed 1995��CMH Pub 70�C63�C1

Foreword

L

ast year, we said good-bye to William O.

Wooldridge, our first Sergeant Major of

the Army (SMA). I think it is fitting

that, as we write a new chapter in the Office of

the Sergeant Major of the Army, we celebrate

those who have come before us. Sergeant Major

of the Army Wooldridge was a pioneer, blazing

a trail that thirteen of us have traveled. He was

instrumental in the creation of this post, and we

will always remember his sacrifice and his contributions.

The creation of the Office of the Sergeant

Major of the Army in July 1966 represented a

major milestone in the development of the U.S.

Army. For the first time in history, an enlisted

soldier assumed the role of adviser to the Chief

of Staff on all issues pertaining to the enlisted

force. Even after almost forty years, not much

has changed. The Sergeant Major of the Army

continues to advise the Chief of Staff on all

enlisted matters, including quality of life and

pay concerns.

The establishment of the SMA position in

1966 reflected the importance then of soldierrelated issues in the Army, and that emphasis

continues today. I see myself as a scout for the

Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Army.

My charge is to share with the enlisted corps

concerns that are being worked on at the Army

level and to bring back to the Pentagon matters

affecting soldiers and their families.

Offices and titles are essential in any large

institution, but ultimately people are the key to

an organization��s success; the Office of the

Sergeant Major of the Army is no exception. The

noncommissioned officers chosen to be Sergeants

Major of the Army have been individuals who

not only have had extraordinary careers, but who

have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the

welfare of their fellow soldiers. This commitment

makes them truly effective advocates and spokesmen on enlisted-related issues.

The careers and life stories of the men who

have served as Sergeants Major of the Army are

both inspirational and instructive because

through them we gain an appreciation for not

just the SMAs themselves, but for all the enlisted men and women who over the past two-anda-half centuries have worked, fought, and sacrificed to make the U.S. Army the finest military

organization in the world. As we continue to

transform the Army to meet the challenges of

the next twenty years, it is always appropriate to

look back and learn from our history.

RAYMOND F. CHANDLER III

Fourteenth Sergeant Major of the Army

iii

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